Radioactive Chronicles
by Palex Vespertine
Summary: The idea of impurity is a concept ingrained in the mind deep within the human conscience. Society was purged by burning fires, and men turned to ghoulish creatures of nightmare. The Lone Wanderer fled her utopia to find her father, only to find fame and a title she never wanted. In the end, fate decides. But, what happens when a single impure genetic mutation cheats death?


_"…If you can hear this, please stop looking for your dad and help me stop mine."_

* * *

**_Megaton  
October 2, 2277_**

Dogmeat whined pleadingly at his immobile master. Green light from her Pip-Boy screen washed out her complexion and diluted her mocha eyes. Vault 101's distress signal had been running on loop for three days now. After the death of her father, Excella became paralyzed with fear. Star Paladin Cross escorted the frozen girl back to Megaton, where she began to withdraw further and further into herself.

Suddenly, the Lone Wanderer flew up from her seat. Wading through the sea of empty liquor bottles, she stumbled up the stairs and curled over the toilet just as she began to retch. Stomach bile scorched her throat and hot tears burned down her cheeks. Her hands trembled as she swept loose tendrils of dark hair behind her ears. Excella crawled into her bedroom, but passed out before she could haul herself onto the mattress.

Minutes stretched onto an unknown oblivion, until a frantic knock came to the front door. Dogmeat barked, but to no avail. After another series of knocks, the metal door creaked open on its hinges. Maggie peeked around the empty sitting room before quickly ushering Harden inside. "Maggie, my Dad said that breaking and entering is against the law." "Oh, shut it, Harden! The door was unlocked anyways. Plus, we've been here before."

The Simms boy looked genuinely uncomfortable as he scanned the never ending piles of vodka bottles and shattered shot glasses. Dogmeat nudged the boy with his snout, whimpering in the direction of his fallen master. "Come on, this doesn't look good." Maggie tugged Harden along by his sleeve. The duo ignored the grisly state of the bathroom and proceeded into the Lone Wanderer's bedroom.

Harden, used to his straight laced father, wasn't sure how to handle a drunk. Maggie, on the other hand, had seen her fair share of Billy's alcohol induced tirades to remain composed. First off, Maggie checked to make sure she was breathing. A sigh of relief escaped the girl as she thought morbidly, _at least she didn't choke on her own vomit_.

It took a joint effort from the children ("_Quit being a wimp, Harden! Help me move her!"_) to deposit the limp woman onto the bed. Its ancient springs groaned in protest, but welcomed her nonetheless. Maggie and Harden panted at the herculean strength it required to move the Lone Wanderer. Harden recovered first, casting a wary glance at the still woman.

"What do we do now?" A beat later, he added: "Should I get my Dad?"

"No way! Your Dad would make a big deal out of it. Mr. Leo could help, I think. Billy mentioned he used to be a chem addict before Excella straightened him out."

"Okay, I guess. Let's clean the place up first. Dogmeat looks kinda hungry too."

* * *

To the relief of Harden Simms, Maggie sent him to retrieve the eldest Stahl sibling. The last thing the Sherriff's son wanted to do was initiate the spring cleaning in the Lone Wanderer's Megaton home. In lieu of playing housewife, he speedily waded through the broken glass and scurried off to The Brass Lantern. Dogmeat accompanied the boy as unnecessary protection. It was an anomaly the canine willingly left his master's side.

Jenny Stahl greeted Harden warmly, albeit suspiciously. The boy was usually up in the armory this time of say polishing Deputy Steel. Rarely did he ever take a leisure day from his duties, and lesser still did he visit the Stahl siblings' eatery without his father. Harden nodded politely at the lady, then proceeded indoors. Thankfully, there were only two patrons in the bar so early in the afternoon.

"Well, well, this is quite a surprise, little Simms." Leo commented offhandedly, polishing a shot glass. "What can I get you?" Harden stood respectfully at the end of the bar and cast a glance around at the depressed daytime drunks. The dark skinned boy looked up at the reformed addict. "Miss Excella needs your help."

Frowning, Leo sat down the spotless shot glass and slung the dishcloth over his shoulder. The bartender wasn't aware the little woman from 101 had returned to town. Since her fame climaxed, Megaton rarely saw her for more than a day or two every other week. Rivet City was practically her new home, given the time she spent with Doctor Li. From what he was told, she bore an uncanny resemblance to the woman, even though the scientist wasn't her mother.

Something was off. Excella always visited The Brass Lantern for lunch when she was around and to check in on Leo. Apparently, she'd returned, but those words came from the dutiful Harden Simms, which didn't sit right. How was the boy involved in this? The only other person he associated with freely was Billy Creel's adoptive daughter, Maggie, but she too was nowhere to be seen.

"What kind of 'help' are we talking, kid?" Leo's hazel eyes narrowed. Harden shifted uncomfortably, taking a step closer to Leo behind the bar. "Maggie and I went to her house. She was passed out on the floor from drinking."

"Shit," The eldest Stahl ran a hand through his rust-colored locks. Excella rarely consumed alcohol. When she did, she was notorious for drinking even aged alcoholics like Jericho under the table. For her to be rendered unconscious, half of Moriarty's still would be drained. The fact she even came across so much liquor was astounding. "Why do you need my help?"

"Maggie said she helped you... _out_ with something. You can repay the favor." Harden diverted his gaze from Leo's. Obviously, the boy was uncomfortable about the situation. The message was received though. Leo shouted to Andy he was taking his lunch break. The self-appointed 'older brother' called that he better be back within the hour.

Dogmeat had managed to work over Jenny with his charm. The waitress was hand feeding him bits of squirrel when Leo and Harden emerged. She sent a confused glance up at her brother, but he dismissed her with a shake of his head. There were more pressing matters at hand. The duo made their way up to the Miss 101's home, not bothering to knock.

Wadsworth greeted Harden and Leo with is usual cheer. The sheer number of liquor bottles, broken and unbroken, was appalling. Maggie stuck her head out from Excella's bedroom, a triumphant grin on her lips. Harden scowled. Yet again, he'd been tricked into what he thought was the easy route. "Hey-o, Mister Leo." "Hi there, Maggie. What's the situation?" Leo marched up the stairs while Harden sulked in an armchair, Dogmeat nearby.

"I saw a lady in really big armor bring in Excella a few nights ago. Lucy said she heard a lot of shouting and things getting broken in here and got real worried, so I promised her I'd come check it out."

"And you found her like this?"

"Well, not really. She was on the floor right where you're at when me and Harden got here. We moved her on the bed though."

Nodding, Leo moved closer to the old pre-war mattress. The easy rise and fall of Excella's chest signaled she was breathing. At least she was alive. Being responsible for finding the Last, Best Hope of the Wasteland dead in her home wouldn't look too good on his track record.

Guilt washed over Leo. Even though the girl was passed out, he couldn't help but admire her ethereal beauty. No one in the Capital Wasteland could say they hadn't been initially stunned by the Lone Wanderer's attractiveness. Perhaps it was the slant of her eyes that made her high cheeks look so regal, her nose so noble Or, maybe it was the way her long chestnut locks framed the sharp contours of her face all together.

She'd been pale when she rolled into Megaton. It took a while, but she was akin to sun kissed presently. Her body was petite as well; soft in all the right places, yet still defined with hard muscle. Everything about her was so utterly feminine and untainted it made men ache to possess her. Leo would be lying if he said the thought of claiming her as his own never crossed his mind.

Three Dog didn't make it easy on Excella, either. She was practically the mascot of Galaxy News Radio with the ample amount of time she spent loitering there after raiding the DC ruins. Despite frequenting the station, her voice had only been heard once on air. Three Dog poked fun at her single status, resulting in an unknown object (an iron) being lobbed at the disk jockey's head, along with a shrill shriek of, _"Three Dog!"_

But, the Lone Wanderer had her title for a reason. No matter how many men—or women—clamored for her private attentions, they were ultimately ignored. She'd once explained it to Leo over drinks. To her, she carried a heavy burden through life, most of which she refused to disclose to the bartender. Having a companion would only force them to shoulder her burden as well, and that was something she rebuffed.

It was an albatross heavy around her neck, the weight of living she carried day by day. Excella's current state was a testament to that. Was she driven by haunting memories to incapacitate her ability to think? A mind as bright as hers could be a severe handicap at times.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Leo turned to Maggie. The little girl had most likely saved Little 101's life by finding her. "We should keep this quiet. Miss Excella wouldn't be happy is she found out the whole town got involved in her business." Crouched down, Leo's gaze leveled with Maggie's. "Can you look after her until my shift ends at The Brass Lantern?"

Maggie nodded firmly.

Leo returned the gesture.

* * *

At 9PM, Leo brushed off his brother's suspicious glare and assured his sister he was just fine, hurrying out the door to return to Excella's side. Before he left Excella's home earlier that afternoon, Leo put his junkie skills use, starting an IV on the Vault girl and ordering Maggie to give her fluids. Waking up with a three day hangover was a hell within itself, and hydration would ease the pain a bit.

"You better get on home," Leo told Maggie as he wiped his boots on the floor mat. "Billy's probably worried sick about you by now."

"He'll understand. Thank you, Mr. Leo."

Leo flashed one of his winning charismatic smiles at Maggie as she left with Dogmeat. The pet was safer with her until Excella recovered. Plus, little girls shouldn't walk around at night, no matter how safe the town was. Multitudes of travelers passed through Megaton every day, and nothing guaranteed they weren't slavers.

A stray syringe on the lab table caught Leo's attention. Med-X. A month had passed, but the itch was still so strong. _No,_ Leo snapped at himself, _Excella needs your help right now_. Idle hands were the devil's hands his mother used to say. Leo cautiously entered Excella's room, not daring to disturb her rest. Thankfully, she was still asleep.

Maggie had removed the former Vault dweller's boots and reinforced leather armor. Leo frowned at the uncomfortable looking contraption on her arm. A Pip-Boy, she'd called it once. Reaching over her sleeping figure, he grasped the machine, preparing to slide it off her arm. His thumb accidentally brushed the right most dial, bring the device to life.

_"This is an automated message from Vault-Tec Vault 1-0-1."_ Leo sucked in a robotic voice changed abruptly to a soft and steady female timbre. _"It feels like you left home a long time ago, but I know you're still out there, I just… hope you're alive to hear this. Things got worse after you left. My father's gone mad with power. If you can hear this, please stop looking for your dad and help stop mine. I changed the door password to my name, if you're hearing this and if you still care enough to help me, you should remember it."_

The message repeated. It was its own independent signal, running on loop. Leo fumbled to turn the blasted radio off, and eventually succeeded. He glanced at Excella, whose eyelids thankfully stayed closed. Close call.

Leo decided to leave the Pip-Boy on her arm. It was a preferable alternative to waking the sleeping beast. No doubt she'd be pissed in the morning when she found Leo snoozing at her bedside. If there was anything Excella hated more in the world than being underestimated, it was being doted on like a wee child. But, it was a small price Leo would pay in exchange for her safety.

* * *

**_Megaton  
October 3, 2277_**

"What do you think she's dreaming about?"

Leo scratched his beard and furrowed his brow.

"I don't know," he replied at length, looking to Maggie. The girl stared at the Lone Wanderer with interest. Leo had awoken early in the morning to the sound of his charge whimpering and thrashing violently. No matter what he did to wake her, she stayed trapped in her subconscious. She'd settled down considerable in the hour following, but her exquisite features remained troubled.

"Let's just pray she wakes up soon."

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**_  
Greetings yet again, my friends. If you're a fan of the British band Bastille, you'll recognize a line haphazardly quoted from their song The Weight of Living, pt. 1. The chapter title, _Albatross, _is tribute to the song. It gave me inspiration when I was just about ready to tear my hair out from writer's block._

Please review! Your reviews—good and bad—help me improve my work. I post my stories here to please others. Feedback makes my heart warm. The bigger the response, the more likely I am to post ahead of my scheduled date (roughly a week).

Chapter Word Count: 2,230

Stay golden,  
—Palex


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